Forgiveness: What It Is and Is Not
Forgiveness is an important key in you moving on from a past hurt. I once heard, “Resentment is like drinking poison, and expecting the other person to die from it.”
If you are anything like me, forgiveness is not always easy. But forgiveness isn’t about the other person, it’s about you: gaining your own peace, and freedom from the past. I have to remind myself that God forgives me when I don’t deserve it!
Forgiveness is not:
forgetting.
making amends.
pardoning or excusing another’s action.
entering back into a friendship/relationship.
indifference by saying the offender’s act is simply not important.
a diminishing of angry feelings across time.
undoing, as in “I’ll make it up to you.”
trusting
Forgiveness is:
an inner release from a personal revenge.
an active struggle to release the other person while you are still feeling angry. (Enright & Zell)
not a feeling.
an opportunity for you to release the hurt.
Forgiveness helps us move towards healing and relate to the situation in a different way; thus allows you to reclaim your POWER.
Additionally:
✨God forgives me when I don’t deserve it.
✨God loves the person who committed the wrong as much as he loves me.
✨I make mistakes too.
What is forgiveness to you? 💭